Fantasy Chivalry: Academy for Future Knights

[Nozzivix]

Noz'Onn passed through the academy's gates with little problem. Some of the hired help was already leaving for the night, and it was simple enough for one unremarkable individual to simply blend in with the crowd. When he had cleared the Academy and distanced himself from the group, he expelled a sigh.


He would be back the next morning, but losing his temper like that was unforgivable. He was at least glad that Arr hadn't seen it. Confident that nobody would be looking his way, two six foot long leathery wings exploded from his shoulderblades, and he took off into the sky, headed north. He had heard of a lake there, and a small forest, and hopefully, a small cave or two...

 

[Sgt Grunt]

Heinrich eased himself out of bed the next morning, his ribs screaming in protest from all the unwanted activity involved in sitting up. He pressed through it though, his mind set on planning out how to get that red haired dragon to do as he asked. If he could just et the thing to think they were alone and change form... Maybe hide a few witnesses nearby.


Nodding in agreement with his thoughts, Heinrich began moving towards the dining hall.

 

[Nozzivix]

Noz'Onn's eyes slowly opened as he saw the sun slowly begin peeking over the horizon from the inside of his cave. With a yawn, he stretched his wings and took his trunk in his mouth, leaving the cave. He'd promised to be back before sunrise, and had no intention of causing further trouble with the only other dragons for miles.


When he reached the lake, the Dragon was surprised to see an ancient looking human fishing there, with snow-white hair peeking out from his cap. Humans weren't supposed to be up here, but the dragon wasn't about to ask questions. As the old man didn't seem to have seen him yet, Noz'Onn prepared to leap into the air as fast as possible, leaving the fisherman with only his downdraft.


"Please, Wildfire, son of Hurricane. I know you have places to go, but don't be in such a rush." The old man's words struck him like lightning, and the Dragon came to a dead stop.


"How do you know my name?" The Dragon asked, dumbfounded.


"You learn many things, living as long as I have." The fisherman said. "When to reel in, and when to relax the line. Though I have no doubt you've learned that lesson at your age. Or have you?"


"I've done nothing wrong!" Noz'Onn shot back. "That stupid Ice Dragon doesn't know what I do. If she wants to shorten her life, then so be it!"


"I don't know much about that." he responded with a little mirth. Noz'Onn felt his eyes fall on the academy below, and the massive temple where Mahl was no doubt still sleeping "All actions make ripples in the water, and more often than not, all it does it scare the fish. That cave back there was a fine choice, my friend, but the method you used to get here? You may have scared away all but the most foolhardy fish."


"and what would you know of my problems, human?" The dragon roared as he swung his neck round, only to meet with nothing. Not even ripples from the man's bobber in the water remained. Noz'Onn shook his head, unsure whether the man was even real, before taking off into the sky, far higher than any human could see. Light as a feather, and still unseen, he shifted mid-air and landed on the temple roof, dropping off his trunk and headed for the feasting hall.

 

[Sgt Grunt]

While a few of his compatriots were already in the dining hall, most everyone was still asleep or elsewhere. Heinrich took the opportunity to speak to the few present, quietly, regarding his plan. He kept it vague, mentioning only that they need bare witness to something he had in the works. Being Teutonic, they likely thought it were some act of martial ability or some new power used in battle.


He had only just begun walking away, smiling at how stupid and predictable his brethren could be when the dragon walked into the room. Heinrich's smile only widened at his entrance, and he managed to restrain himself from throwing his arms wide in greeting for the sake of his ribs.


"Dragon! By the gods, it's good to see you! Tell me, did you enjoy your first day at our luxurious academy?"

 

[Jays]

Arterus was on top of the tower again. Right after the Magister left, he had managed to sneak back in again, using a small broken down tunnel that led into the stair case. But this time, the night sky held no atrraction to him, as he had found another thing to do to pass his time. Eavdroping the later part of the conversation was unsuccessful as he could not make sense of their words, but he could read the body language well enough, even though the dragons' are close to inhuman. From the top of the tower, he had seen the red dragon transformed and flew away, a magnificient site indeed. He had waited the night, intending to observe and study these new interests. His effort was rewarded the next morning as the red dragon returned. He climbed down discretly afterward, returning to his room to write down his observations.

 

[Auren]

Lureana woke up before dawn, sliding into her usual training clothing. She put on her cloak in order to fight against the morning chill, and placed her hair into a high pony tail. Jogging down the tower with only the last light of the moon to guide her, she made it to the entrance without anyone noticing. She walked over to the training field, where she left her cloak on a rack. All the servants were still asleep, so it would have to do.


Once she finished stretching, she started her jog around the grounds. After her twenty-fifth lap, she noticed how high the sun had gotten and retrieved her cloak. She returned to her room for a quick freshening up before going to the dining hall. She grabbed a plate and filled it with a little more than one would think a lady would eat. Going to her own corner of the hall, she barely noticed the entrance of the dragon between her graceful, yet hasty eating. When she finally slowed down, and could concentrate without the distraction of an empty stomach, she watched the interaction between the red dragon, Noz or something, with the Teutonic, Heinrich boy.


"Strange," she mumbled to herself. Then again, Teutonic were known for their ambitions.

 

[Nozzivix]

"Greetings Herr Heinrich!" The Dragon called out, placing a smile upon his face. "I have to say, the sleeping arrangements could be better." he rolled his neck with a mock grimace. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to the kitchen staff. I need to see if they got the meat I asked for." he added, headed for the kitchen doors, hoping they had a nice fresh kill for his breakfast.

 

[Sgt Grunt]

Heinrich hobbled after him, trying not to breathe to deeply and waited for the cook to hand over the veal before starting in.


"Sorry to hear that, mein freund. Perhaps there are other places around the grounds for you to stretch out your wings? I know of a few places hidden enough to accommodate you."

 

[Nozzivix]

"Heh. I'd love to, but orders are orders." He shrugged. "No dragon form on Human Property."

 

[Sgt Grunt]

"That's crap. I'm sure I could find you a place... But that's for another time." Heinrich waved his hand as if to shoo the thought away and began turning for the door. "You enjoy your meal, Dragon. I'll see you around."

 

[Jays]

"Not as strange as you might think." Arterus talked over the girl's shoulder. He had noticed the how the infamous boy, Heinrich approached the dragon. He also realised that the red dragon could handle itself very casually amomg human. If he didn't know better, the dragon would just blend in just fine. It also appeared that he was not the only person who was interested ."He's Teutonic after all. He either wants to fight the dragon if he hadn't already, or wants to use it for something. Sometimes I wonder how did Teutonic become as powerful as it is now being so predictable."

 

[ninbinz]

After their evening meal Tony invited Ma'Arr along with them. Eager to be a part of something Ma'Arr was more than obliging. They all left the table laughing at a joke aimed at one of the noble born boys who had mocked the young dragon earlier. Ma'Arr followed the procession of young knights-to-be to a field of grass. One of their group splintered off and disappeared behind a building, when he returned he was holding a spherical object. Ma'Arr's face lit up, he had seen the village children outside of his parents' territory play with such an object. He had seen them kick the ball around but had never received the chance to play with them. For one, they were very distrustful. The game was explained to him succinctly before it was swung into full motion and the field was overrun with young boys and a dragon in human form.


The game was too short and was ended by the tolling of a bell somewhere in the distance. Ma'Arr sent off his friends with a wave and a smile, one of them had taken the ball and returned it to its home. Ma'Arr yawned, he could see the setting sun sitting on the horizon. Nearby was a tree, it had many a branch and was covered in soft leaves. The young dragon smiled and elongated his human nails into dragon claws. Up the tree he climbed. At the top he broke a branch here, bent another there and swiped bunches of leaves from up high. In minutes he had a nest that was more than comfortable, his mother used to prepare him a bed in the same fashion when he was decidedly smaller.


Sometime later Ma'Arr awoke. He was jolted to consciousness by dull thump and an aching pain in his shoulder. When he finally cleared his mind he realised that he had fallen right out the bottom of his nest. He chuckled a little to himself and rolled to hi feet rubbing the small pain of his fall. Unfortunately his tumble had drawn unfriendly attention as a pair of guards jostled their armoured way up to him. Ma'Arr was definitely intimidated. "Boy!! What are you doing here this late at night!!!" One of them demanded of him. Ma'Arr stepped unerringly into the light of their torch, his eyes sparkled in the light and both men gasped. They took a step back in fright before reeling themselves in. "You shouldn't be out here boy!! Your quarters are on the second floor of the temple. You'd best get there quick before I have you thrown in the dungeons." For a minute Ma'Arr was taken aback, he had been treated relatively well so far. The threat caught him off guard but he too reeled in his surprise and instead narrowed his eyes. The winds about them suddenly picked up, the torch was blown out despite its kerosene fuel. The guards shouted in surprise and fear, another pair of guards came running but when they shone their torch about Ma'Arr was gone with nary a sign of his ever being present.


Ma'Arr snuck his way into the temple making sure to avoid any more guards, no doubt he would hear of it in the morning from someone. In one of the beds he noticed a lump. From the size of it he reasoned it was Mal, the other bed was empty.


In the morning Ma'Arr woke up early and sped off for the kitchens, his stomach was growling. When he arrived he was surprised to find that the hall was pretty full, something he should have expected. Once again he joined the line and he was greeted by the same woman as the night before. She slopped food onto his plate and he went to sit at an empty table since he couldn't see Tony or the others. Without preamble he dug furiously into his food, dragons on the cusp of drakehood were often prone to fits of intense hunger and luckily he was not at that moment possessed of a dragon's stomach but a human's. So to many he was just another growing boy.

 

[Nozzivix]

Nozz shouldered open the door after five or so minutes in the kitchen, a bloody sack hanging over his shoulder. With a preparatory breath, he walked out of the feasting hall and back to the temple, where he knew Mahl still was, no doubt starving to avoid the human food. He pushed open the temple door and ascended the stairs. Ma'Arr's bed was empty, the young one had likely already gone to the feasting hall, and the bed reserved for the Fire Dragon himself was completely untouched.


It seems I made the right choice. He thought, looking disdainfully at the pile of hay and blankets they expected him to sleep on. I wasn't expecting satin sheets, but this is just embarrassing.


Mahl herself was still asleep, looking cold and distant even in her dreams. She was obviously not a morning person. With nowhere else to sit, the dragon perched on his 'bed' and opened the sack, allowing the smell of blood and raw pig meat to fill the room. No dragon could resist the smell, and Nozz couldn't help but feel his mouth water. 
Torath entered the feasting hall slightly later than usual, but at such an advanced age, those that did not think the High Magister senile at least thought he had slowed with age. Not that the wizard ever dispelled those rumours, of course, the assumption made his work a lot easier. On his way to his chair at the head of the hall, he found himself behind two students, their eyes on the dragon that had just left. Arterus and Lureana, he remembered. He'd always been good with names.


"Enjoying our new guests?" he asked quietly, stooping a little to match their height.

 

[Auren]

"Are you not Teutonic yourself?" Lureana asked as she gazed up at the boy, ignoring the fact that she jumped a little from surprise. He appeared to be about a foot taller than her and by his clothing his family was of some status or another. Resting a hand on her chin, Lureana glanced at the younger dragon sitting alone. "Poor thing," she said, not from pity, but because she understood being alone. From the way he was eating though, he obviously didn't have much care about it.


Looking back at the Teutonic, she gave a small nod. "They fought yesterday on the training field, actually. It was interesting, but they seemed typical for their personalities. The dragon fought like a dragon, and the boy rushed forward without much tactic. I think he broke a rib," she said and she glanced toward the Heinrich boy. She worried about the wound, and silently planned to talk to the medic that checked on him.


"Oh, hello, Magister. The guests are pleasant enough. I'm actually more worried about how things might turn out at the dinner that's in their honor,"she said when the Magister approached before standing up in his presence. She felt that it would be more polite than staying sitting. Not that standing did more to increase her height. She still stood a good foot under both men. But even with her small size, it was usually her confidence that made her on equal standing with the other Academ at the academy.

 

[Nozzivix]

"Hmm." Torath said, stroking his beard. "And there's no need to stand on my account, my dear. I'm just a foolish old man, at least, that's what your teacher's believe." He added with a twinkle in his eye. "Still, it's my fault the Dragons even came here, if anything goes wrong, that shall be my fault too. Have you met with them, perchance? After all, they may rival me in age, but our guests are still young at heart. If anyone can make them feel welcome, it isn't me, or those power hungry magisters, it'll be you."


"Don't tell your teachers I said that, by the way." He added, tapping the side of his nose with a wizened finger and a wink.

 

[Jays]

Arterus was suprised that the Magister actually remember his name. He was never a popular Academ, not to mention he had only met Torath twice in all his time at the Academy. He looked back at the dragon wistfully. "I dare say that they are the most interesting event that had happened at the Academy until now. Meeting a dragon can be...an unique experience." He glanced aside at the Lureana and tried not to smile. The girl stood a head shorter than him, which instead of making her looked tough like she intended to, she was almost cute, and he had to feel the urge not to pat her in the head. Arterus froze at that thought. He wasn't usually like this, he realised. He wasn't the social type, nor the type that would pat another Academ on the head because it's fun. The experience the previous night had changed him somehow. He felt more alive than he had ever been at the Academy, no longer lacking a life purpose. It was like when he had met the stranger, his mentor at the art of sword. For the first time in years, he felt excited, felt the urge to get to know these new creatures. He had found something worth his time, a puzzle to solve. He would do something no one else ever could, and make the dragons his ally.

 

[Auren]

Lureana was almost taken back by the Magister's attitude towards the honor he deserved as a Magister. She wasn't much for the politics of the school, but she knew that anyone above in the academy deserved her utmost respect. But the uncanny attitude that the man held made the corner of Lureana's lips turn up into a lop-sided smile.


"I've had a brief conversation with the red haired one. Noz, I believe?" She said. Lureana glazed at Arterus mentioned his experience. He seemed a little off when he mentioned it, but she didn't pay too much attention to the fact. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts afterwards anyways.

 

[Nozzivix]

"That's the spirit Arterus!" the Wizard laughed. "I know that fire in your eyes well. It reminds me of when I was a lad, and I first met the Dragons. Keep that fire, young man. It'll see you a long way on any journey. But, do be careful. As with any fire, no matter how helpful, it can seem, it may still burn you if not respected."


He turned to Lureana. "Ah, so you have made contact, tell me, how does he feel to you? Dragons are hard to read at the best of times, Wildfire doubly so."

 

[Auren]

Lureana tilted her head slightly in thought. "Well, he knows how to treat nobility, and he fights as well as any of the trained Academ here. Even if he gets a little hot-headed in battle," She shrugged. "I can't say I'd figure him to be one to have any malice planned, even if-" she stopped herself. How much could she till the Magister? Well, she figured, might as well finish anyways. "Even if some of the Academ here have... predetermined prejudices about such matters."

 

[Nozzivix]

"Hmm. A wise character analysis, a threat assessment, and a knowledge of the feelings of those around her. You will become a great warrior, and leader one day, my dear." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I foresee great things from you, but first, I need you to be my eyes. For both of our species, Dragon and Human, we need peace between us and them. The other Magisters see me as a foolish old man, scared of shadows, but trust me. We stand on a precipice. Keep your eyes open, my dear, and you too, Arterus. No matter what comes, you must keep the peace."


With that, his serious face melted away, into that of a kindly grandfather once more. "Now, enjoy your breakfast. It's important to keep your strength up." He patted them both on the shoulder before making his way back to his chair for a breakfast of his own.

 

[Auren]

Lureana raised a brow, but chose to keep her mouth shut. He was definitely one of the stranger people of the Academy. She glanced back at her empty plate before looking at Arterus. "Strange," she said again. She noticed a servant nearby and she motioned toward her plate. The servant collected it and went along his way. "I'm Lureana by the way. Lady of the House Rompth," she paused. "Do you by chance know any archery?"


With a few minutes to spare after dinner, she figured that she would practice her shooting before she had to meet up with her mentor for her combat training.

 

[Taqhart]

Rowan Archard walked passed the gates of the academy, the cold morning chills shivered through his entire body. Rowan embraced the cold, it reminded him that Eesna is always with him and watching his every move. The acolyte's legs were sore and tired from his long pilgrimage. A pilgrimage that every acolyte of Eesna must complete to prove his faith. The Pilgrimage of the Even Hand was the name of the rite. Rowan walked to each province of Gallace and had to right one wrong from each. At first the boy thought no-one would accept help from a acolyte with only one arm, but once people found out Rowan was completing the Even Hand it felt like hundreds of people sprung up asking him for justice. Rowan carried tokens from each wrong righted, in a small satchel slung on his back. A rag soak with the blood of a wife beater from the lands of the Lionharts, A coin given as a reward for catching a pickpocket in the Teutonic realm, and lastly a stale loaf of bread given to Rowan as payment for helping a Templar boy work off the debt of his dead drunk of a father. It felt like ages since Rowan laid eyes on his adopted home and academy. The morning dew was still on the blades of grass in the fields. There was not a soul in sight, everyone must have been in the dining hall or still asleep.


Eager to bring the tokens of proof to his mentor, Rowan knew exactly where to find him. Rowan stiffly walked into the temple wing of the castle and knelt down paying respects to the other gods before moving down the stairs to the underground chamber dedicated to Eesna. Master Shaman Gaol, Rowan's mentor, was kneeling beside the symbol of Eesna's frozen sword. His mentor's head was hung low and eyes closed, a shine from the candlelight flickered off of the mans bald scalp; Rowan knew his master was deep in thought and prayer. Gaol was looked thin under his blue robes, his face was gaunt and sharp sporting a rough black beard, salted with strands of grey. The air was always colder down here, Rowan believed it was caused by the presence of the ice god. Silently, the acolyte waited for his master to finish.


"So you have returned" Gaol said without moving an inch. "Did you complete the Even Handed?"


"Yes Master" Rowan replied as he knelt beside his mentor. "I have the tokens of proof here, one rag from the lion.."


"I know you did well boy" Gaol said with a smile as he opened his eyes to look at his apprentice. "Eesna told me of your progress, I prayed for your safety and it seems as though she answered my prayers." Gaol viewed the boy as his adopted son, after finding him so broken it was good to see him confident as strong. Even with only one arm. "You can tell me the details later. You must be hungry and you're not to late for the morning meal." Gaol closed his eyes and bowed his head back into focused prayer. "leave the tokens here with me, we will offer them to Eesna later, now go." Gaol sat for a while before adding "and Rowan, dragons are in the academy, be careful."


"Yes Master" Rowan said, Dragons Rowan was shocked! The devils are here! The acolyte had so many questions, but he was also was extremely hungry, it's hard to buy food without any money and the foraging was horrid in the cities. The boy said a quick prayer to his god, thanking him for a safe journey and return. Rowan got up and left for the dining hall. On his way he thought about Master Gaol praying for him, it mean't a lot to Rowan. The acolyte thanked Eesna for providing such a good mentor and prayed that he could make him proud. The thought of dragons burned in Rowan's mind, he would have to talk to his master about that later.


Rowan held up his arm to open the door to the dining hall, walking in he noticed many of the knights were already seated and eating. Rowan watched High Magister Torath walk away from a table seated by a Lionhart and Teutonic student. Rowan sat down beside them and grabbed some oats in silence. Rowan didn't talk to the knights in training often, many of them thought of him as a joke. As Rowan ate his breakfast he pondered dragons and wondered if any were in this room right now. He looked up and saw a young looking man with bright red hair, the unnatural pigment of scales. Shocked Rowan adverted his gaze and looked down back to his food, he said a small prayer to Eesna to help steel himself in case for some reason it decides to walk near.


Rowan noticed the students beside him didn't seem phased by the beast at all.

 

[Killigrew]

Killigrew updated Chivalry: Academy for Future Knights with a new update entry:


Culture and Hierarchy!

Alright, guis!
The beta for all three orders' hierarchies have been posted Do check it out by ctrl-fing "Even more information" or just scroll down to the bottom!

Read the rest of this update entry... 
The Templar quarters were divided in two; a curtain stretched across the Maje quarters, separating female from male. It wasn't much in the way of things, but it was enough to secure the privacy of both genders, as enforced by the Magisters. Emmony found it a little restrictive; she would have preferred the chance to whisper both to male and female friends under cover of night, but withheld her opinion.


Last night had been spent deep in prayer, and though no sign from the gods had been observed, the Templars-in-training were united in a singular goal; exposing these dragons. She and those like her knew they must remove this trouble before it took permanent hold of the people in her lands.


Emmie was glad to conspire in a united circle against something; her status as a commonborn noble, barely comprehending the mannerisms required of her status, had kept her fragmented from the other girls in the order, but with this, she could feel like one of them.


She moved amidst a group on their way to the Dining Hall for the morning meal, and caught sight of the dragon boy, marked by his devil eyes and fiery hair, slip into the kitchen. Pursing her lips, she pulled back from the group, and awaited his return. As soon as he'd left, she slipped through the door, and took hold of the nearest servant.


"The dragon boy, I saw him enter." She said frankly. "With whom did he speak? And why?"


The servant, a scruffy lad that looked a few years Emmie's younger, grumbled a reply and pointed vaguely towards the cook.


A gold coin bought her the information; this dragon boy requested fresh meat for the morning, and took a whole sack full towards the Grand Temple. Emmie curled her lip at the dishonor, and handed the coin to the cook, and insisted the woman inform Emmie should she observe anything else.


The deal sealed, Emmie returned to the Dining Hall, and surveyed the place. It wouldn't be long now until lessons would be held in the fields and sparring hall. It was strange that such a normal schedule was held while such an abnormal presence walked among them. Emmie sighed at the though, and piled upon her plate an assortment of foods before searching for a table to seat herself at.


The group she'd walked with before filled up their table, and she couldn't get in without some squeezing. Emmie didn't want to force her way, and instead sought out an open seat.


There was a relatively empty table towards the back, and as she approached, she noticed one Lionhart girl and some man in an acolyte's garb. Calmly, she set her plate on the table beside them, and sat beside the acolyte. His armless side was the one she chose; that there would be no rubbing of elbows was to her liking.


"Hello," She greeted as she took hold of the chicken breast. "I don't believe we've met." She placed her gaze on both of them, one after the other, and smiled. "I'm Emmie, Emmony Nightingale, Templar-in-training. Who are you two?"

 

[Taqhart]

Rowan didn't notice the girl sat down until she spoke, he hated it when things snuck up on his blind side. Rowan looked over tot the She introduced herself as Emmony, a Templar. Rowan respected the Templars, for their strong devotion and discipline. Most of the knights didn't speak to him and was surprised by her forwardness. Rowan stared at the brunette Templar-in-training with a wide eye as he finished chewing the mixture of oats and chicken in his mouth, as soon as he swallowed it down he spoke. "I'm Rowan Archard, acolyte of Eesna." He gave her a smile with oat filled teeth, his farmer ways still not ironed out all of the way.


Rowan focused back on his food and took another bite. He had forgotten how good the food at the academy was, the food he ate while on his pilgrimage was dirt compared to the roasted chicken. Rowan rolled his eye back as he said a quick prayer in his mind, thanking the Gods for the warm spiced meat. He felt as if he could eat a knights steed and still not be satisfied.

 

[Killigrew]

"Eesna?" Emmie raised an eyebrow. The lowest of the gods, and an acolyte. Her eyes caught the emblem of the Ice god on his chest, and she supposed she should have uncovered his sect on her own. Eesna was the lowest of the three gods, and the least liked. His followers had a tendency towards a lack of works, yet an abundance of harsh words. Emmie found herself beginning to withdraw herself from the man. But she felt her earrings whisper a quiet breeze, and banished the feeling.


"I suppose that's a noble goal, to dedicate your life unto the gods." She said finally, and with some effort. "Have you completed the pilgrimage yet?"


====================================================================================


Mal's nose twitched, and it was the first sensation that prodded her consciousness to wake.


She smelt the familiar waft of fresh blood, and her tongue snaked out to taste the air, but tasted nothing. The constraint of her human form prodded her awake, and, blind, deaf, and tasteless, she felt the morning.


A groan escaped her. Distaste at this world and cursing her fate, she twisted in the hay towards that scarlet scent. And saw a scarlet boy. The memory of the previous night flooded into her, and Mahl'Iss raised up in her bunk with cold fury. The mouth-watering scent of blood did little to abate her indignance towards the dragon -- nay, the boy -- before her.


"I told you to go home." She said as she moved to her feet. "Why have you returned?"